Devotees throng Sangrur’s 150-year-old Mahakali Devi Temple during Navratris

During Navratris in the month of Ashvin every year, thousands of devotees from different villages and towns visit the historical Mahakali Devi Temple here. This temple is one of the seven government temples situated in the town and these were constructed and maintained by the kings of the erstwhile Jind state.

Not only Hindu devotees, several Sikh devotees and others can also be seen paying obeisance at the temple during Navratris. Some people also say that it is a place of communal harmony in real terms.

The historical temple was constructed by Maharaja Raghbir Singh of erstwhile Jind state about 150 years ago in Sangrur, then capital of the Jind state. It is stated that the Maharaja had brought the idol of the goddess himself from Kolkata and installed here with Hindu religious rituals. The idol was made from black Kasvati stone.

During the Navratris, hundreds of devotees can be seen every night standing in long queues to pay obeisance at the temple. They not only offer ‘prasad’ in the form of ‘ladoos’, ‘badana’, ‘barfi’, coconut, etc., but also offer ‘red chunni’ and ‘poshak’ to the goddess. Many of them also seek blessings for good health, prosperity and for birth of a baby.

Chand Maghan, president of Mandir Shree Mahakaali Sabha (regd), Sangrur, said the idol of the goddess was one of the three in the country. The other two historical idols are in Kolkata and Patiala.

Maghan said that all-round development of the temple complex was being done by the sabha for the past 30 years. He said that despite spending Rs 40-45 lakh on development works and maintenance of the temple complex, they never collected funds by going from door-to-door and managed to do so from the offerings.

Maghan further said the sabha had been maintaining the temple complex since 1993. An annual audit of the income and expenditure was being conducted by the temple committee to maintain transparency in the accounts. Besides, the Sabha had constructed Annapurna Bhawan and Shakti Bhawan in the temple complex for organising social functions.